Beautiful, Dangerous Past
by ScarletTheFallenYouth
Summary: A monthly challenge for Warrior Cats RolePlaying.


**All characters belong to Warrior Cats RolePlaying!**

* * *

Ravenstar sleepily curled up in his nest, ears flattened, careful not to disturb his sleeping mate.. It had been a long, tiring day. All of his Clanmates were slowly filtering into their respective dens, the sun lazily sinking below the horizon.

The WolfClan leader closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep, warm night breeze ruffling his pelt as dark grey shadows covered his pelt.

* * *

"Raven Screech!" A voice cut into Wolfstar's dream. Sleepily, he looked up, then flattened his ears with alarm. This wasn't home! "W-Where am I!?" He blurted out, realizing that he was much smaller than his usual size. _I'm an Apprentice!?_

A loud snort brought Ravenstar's, no, Raven Screech's gaze over to a calico she-cat. She had bright yellow eyes, and was smirking. She nudged a chubby silver tom, who had green eyes. "Look, Dove's Spot! Raven Screech doesn't remember where he is!"

Dove's Spot nodded, but smiled kindly at Raven Screech. "Don't be mean, Owl Pounce. Raven Screech was just confused." He pointed with his tailtip to the outside of the den. "Silent Lake is going to train you now."

Raven Screech nodded shakily, standing up, and padding outside. This was all so confusing...These cats, they had names like the Clans at the beginning had...His eyes widened with surprise. _Wait! A-Am I in the past?...Maybe this is a vision...If it is, I need to follow along with this..._

"Raven Screech!" The Leader's attention was draw to massive, fluffy silver she-cat, with shining green eyes. She and Dove's Spot looked similar, perhaps they were relatives?

 _"_ We're going out hunting today, alright? We'll be able to see Wave Ripple's territory. Skunk Tail, Eagle Ears, Little Briar, and Wolf Claws are coming with us, just in case if there is an attack."

 _Wolf Claws...Wolfstar?_

"Morning, Silent Lake, Raven Screech." A silver she-cat with blue eyes like rivers approached the two, black-tipped tail swishing gracefully. "I assume we're leaving already?"

Raven Screech felt himself turn stiff. He was talking to the Leader of WolfClan!

"Yes, Wolf Claws." Silent Lake mewed, then turned to Raven Screech. "Come along, now." She turned, and padded out of camp, followed by Wolf Claws. The black tom trotted after them, secretly thrilled to see what life was like years ago. He pushed past the small entrance of hawthorn and gorse, breathing in the fresh scent of grass, earth, and pine.

Waiting outside were three cats. Raven Screech instantly decided that the black tom with a snowy white tail and toes was Skunk Tail, but he wasn't sure about the other two. The one closest to Skunk Tail was a calico she-cat with a missing eye, and next to her was a small, curly furred tom was black speckles.

"Good. We're all here." Wolf Claws meowed, looking around her at the assembled group. "We're going to Wave Ripple's territory. I want all of you to keep your claws unsheathed, fangs bared, and eyes open. If we scent any slight scent of Wave Ripple's followers, we'll split them apart!"

Without a word, Wolf Claws spun around, and headed towards WaveClan's territory. Raven Screech hurried to run after her, not wanting to be left behind. Silent Lake trailed slower behind him, tail held just above the ground.

"Hurry, Eagle Ears." Skunk Tail mewed to the calico, ears twitching. "You'll be left behind if you don't walk!" He purred, and nuzzled her to make sure she knew he was joking.

Eagle Ears nodded, smiling, but quickened her pace. Everyone seemed at ease, even if their claws pierced the soft earth when they walked. Raven Screech looked up at the trees when he heard a chaffinch call, trying to spot where is was. The nimble branches of the trees swayed gently in the breeze, casting shadows on the party's coats. Raven Screech looked back down as he heard Wolf Claws stop, and the scent the air.

They had reached the stream which Raven Screech recognized as the WolfClan-WaveClan border. There was the faint scent of cats, and fish. The tom padded closer to the edge, peering out to look at the water. He glanced back up as he heard a growl rumble from the back of Wolf Claws' throat.

"Wave Ripple's cats."

As soon as she spoke, shadows emerged from a collection of bushes lining the stream the opposite side. The leader of the rival group was a large, fluffy ginger tom with white splotches. His green eyes were narrowed as he stood up to his full height. "Hello, Wolf Claws."

"Hello, Bright Flame, Lion Roar." The Leader greeted, her voice tight, as if she was already annoyed by this conversation. "Oh, and Standing Storm. Didn't see you there, you're so short." She smirked at the cats across the banks.

A tiny, almost Apprentice-sized silver she-cat raised her hackles, tail lashing in indignation at the name-calling. "Shut up, Wolf Snout!" She snapped, but stopped when Lion Roar looked at her sternly, the golden she-cat's tail swishing.

"It's alright, Standing Storm." Bright Flame responded, still keeping his eyes on Wolf Claws. "We don't want to fight, Wolf Claws. We were just re-marking the border." He flicked his tail as a sign for his cats to back down, and looked at Wolf Claws expectantly.

"Oh, really?" Wolf Claws' voice was filled with scorn. "You fish-faces always say you're re-marking the border, but we constantly find stolen prey and herbs, pushed-back scent markers, and blood. You're trespassers, every one of you!"

Lion Roar's ears flattened in shock. "Wolf Claws, please!" She protested. "We're telling the truth! Please, we don't want to fight!"

"Be quiet!" The silver female crouched down low to the ground, tail lashing, and fangs bared. "You are all liars! Flithy, mangy liars! All of you will burn to death to the Tribe of Flaming Caves!"

She leapt for Bright Flame, claws unsheathed, and glinting in the morning light. Raven Screech stared in horror as chaos exploded around him. Three more WaveClanners jumped from the bushes, colliding with the WolfClan Warriors. The terrible sounds of screeching, and howling filled the air.

Raven Screech yowled as a tortoiseshell she-cat shoved him to the ground, and bit down on his ear. He screamed as she ripped it away, snarling. Nearby, he could see Wolf Claws battling Bright Flame, both bleeding severely from deep wounds.

Raven Screech slashed the tortoiseshell's face, pushing her away using his hindlegs. She hissed, shaking her head wildly, blood splattering the ground. Her amber eyes stared into his yellow eyes, and he shivered when he saw bloodlust fill them, like how water filled a stream. Swiftly, and wildly.

She pounced, and grabbed him by the throat. Raven Screech flailed wildly, sometimes scratching her, sometimes hitting the air. The forest disappeared from his vision as she snapped down, killing him, and everything when black.

* * *

Ravenstar woke up with a start, eyes wild. He leaped up, fur puffed up with surprise, but it settled when he realized he was home. He curled up back in his nest, and purred softly when he felt Stormmist snuggle closer to him in her sleep.

 _I guess life wasn't that peaceful back then either..._ He thought as he put his muzzle on Stormmist's head. _It was so bloody, and terrifying.._ He felt a pang of sadness inside him as he realized that none of those cats except Wolf Claws were remembered as members of the Clans.

 _Life is beautiful here. Maybe, the past is dangerous. The future could be dangerous too...Maybe everything in this world is dangerous, and yet it's so beautiful._


End file.
